Ghosts of the dark
by thothlover
Summary: Not yaoi. Clean story. Personally I think it's Horror/Family. I tried to make it scary, but please enjoy and R&R if you want.


Ghosts of the dark

Ludwig ran he ran as fast as his feet would carry him through the thick forest. The darkness crept in around him and all he knew was that he had to get away! He had to get to the light, the leaves and branches of the trees cut his face as he ran through, panting; his eyes wide with the sheer terror of the unknown, of the _thing_ behind him. Chasing him. He had to get away! He gasped as he tripped over a root that stood from the ground.

"Nein!"

He screamed as he fell through the forest floor and kept falling. Further down he could see fire and spiky rocks. This was it, the end. He shut his eyes tightly and put his hands over his face.

"Oof!"

He grunted as he hit the floor of his bedroom, tangled in his sheets. His eyes darted around the room as he frantically got to his feet. Ludwig looked to the clock on his nightstand, '2:45 am', he sighed and covered his face as he felt the tears stinging at the corner of his eyes.

The German nation sat on his bed and cried, he cried for ten minutes before taking a shower to wash himself. He stood there, his eyes closing. The lights started to flicker and he saw that behind his eyelids, when he opened his eyes the light went out and he could hear shuffling in the room, he heard footsteps coming closer and suddenly, a breath on his neck. Ice cold. Ludwig froze, shutting his eyes tightly.

"AAAH!"

The blonde screamed as he felt hands grab his shoulders and pull him back, causing him to lose his footing and fall on his back in the tub. When he opened his eyes again the light was back and he just lay there. He felt the tears coming back, but he got up and turned the shower off, hurrying to dry himself off and put on a pair of fresh pajamas. Then he walked down to the kitchen where the light was already on. As he entered he could see Gilbert sleeping at the table, he sighed with relief and walked over to his older brother.

"Gilbert?"

He spoke and suddenly his brother seemed to be moving away from him, the end of the table his brother slept at moved away! Before he knew it the darkness had swooped in. Ludwig's blue eyes were wide as he stared at the floating smiles. The laughter made him feel nauseous and then, he heard a click of a tongue in his ear.

"Ludwig? Ludwig!"

Gilbert grabbed his brother's shoulder and was startled to see the younger jump and yelp.

"Ludwig, what are you doing up?"

The albino asked, curious to see the other in the kitchen at this time. Ludwig said nothing, he had to catch his breath again and ease his heart, it felt like it would burst out of his chest at any second!

"Bruder, I've been having that dream again."

He breathed and didn't stop the tears from running down his face. Gilbert shook his head and wiped the tears away.

"Ludwig, you're overworked. Take some time off. Merkel will understand."

Gilbert spoke and shrugged his brother's mood off, dragging the blonde back upstairs and tucked him in.

"West, there's nothing to be afraid of. Honestly, the only thing that's in the dark is your imagination."

The former nation chuckled and stayed by his brother's side until the blonde fell asleep. The next morning Gilbert had already called Merkel and told her that Ludwig was taking his vacation days, which meant Gilbert would be stepping in in the meantime. Later that day Ludwig was running a fever.

"West! Knock it off! You're a grown man! I'm going to the pharmacy and I'm picking up your meds and **you** are staying home!"

The albino had had it with his brother's attitude as of late.

"But, East!"

"No! No buts! Stay in bed!"

Gilbert snarled and left. Ludwig looked around him, going to the middle of his bed. He was sweating again as his eyes darted around and suddenly, there _it_ was. At the foot of his bed, standing there. Ludwig refused to look _it_ in the eyes or even see _it's_ face. He closed his eyes and started praying.

"_You think that's going to help?"_

A whisper. Ludwig squirmed as he felt the mattress shift in weight. Oh god! _It_ was crawling on top of him! The blonde wanted to disappear into the mattress. He heard a growl. His heart was beating faster and harder than ever.

"_Open your eyes."_

"No."

"_I said open!"_

The German flinched and turned his head away, eyes shut. He scrunched up his nose as he felt a long, thin tongue on his neck.

"_Your fear amuses me."_

It laughed. Ludwig felt like he was going to throw up. His eyes started to open, he didn't want to open his eyes, he didn't want to see!

"_That's it, open those pretty blues."_

"West! I'm back!"

Gilbert called and Ludwig's eyes shot open, the room was the same, there was nothing there. He sat up and leaned over the edge, vomiting on the floor.

"Jesus Christ. You're really sick."

The albino scrunched up his own nose at the smell and opened a window, getting a mop and bucket, after that he got the thermometer and glared at the number as he took it out from the blonde's mouth.

"40°C (104°F), you're sicker than I thought. Maybe that bad dream of yours happens because of the fever."

Gilbert stated and Ludwig shook his head.

"Nein, you don't understand. It happens every year! Same month! Same day! I wake up at 2:45 exactly! For the past 10 years it's been happening and you keep brushing it off!"

Ludwig cried, making the elder worry. Maybe there really was something wrong? The albino looked out the window it was snowing.

"Ludwig, I have to leave for the two day meeting in Washington."

Gilbert spoke and heard a weak protest from his brother.

"I might not be here when you come back!"

"Nonsense. You're just sick and imagining things!"

The elder ruffled the younger's hair and kissed his forehead, placing a bag on the nightstand.

"Your meds. Be good and take them. I have to pack."

The albino smiled and got up, closing the door behind him. The blonde had gotten up and gotten his bible, maybe it would help! No, no! It _was_ going to help! He grabbed his cross just in case and placed it on him.

Ludwig hadn't remembered falling asleep, but when he woke up it was getting dark out and he heard his brother enter a cab and then heard the cab drive away. He was alone. He got up and made sure all the doors and windows were locked but his bedroom door was open. He even moved his dresser to make sure the door couldn't close and hurried back into bed. He would be safe under the covers!

The blonde sighed, what was he? Five? He pushed the covers off and started to hear the footsteps again, he couldn't make out where they were coming from. He pulled the covers over his head and stayed still, holding his bible to his chest.

"_You think that book will help? You think that necklace will help? It's meaningless to me."_

He couldn't make out that voice.

"_I know where you are~"_

The voice sang and he flinched as he felt that _thing_ grab his foot.

"_So sweet, so young, so delicious!"_

The tears started coming back as he felt the mattress sinking again.

"_Aw, why do you cry? Don't you like me?"_

The voice mocked and laughed.

"_I know your darkest secrets, Germany. I know what you've done. I know what your people have done!"_

The voice laughed louder, Ludwig's eyes went to the back of his head, he was so nauseous!

"_You really don't know who I am? Oh, how fun! I am someone very close to you. A friend. Or at least I would like to call myself a friend. Maybe even family."_

The voice hummed. Ludwig flinched as he felt the _thing_ on top of him poke his sides. He opened his eyes for a brief moment, looking up and seeing a dark glow, he didn't like it.

"_I see you watching me. I see you perfectly. You can't hide from me."_

The voice sounded amused. The blonde frowned, his bible and cross weren't helping, that meant his faith in God wasn't helping. That _thing_ must be more powerful than that. Or it was Russia playing a cruel joke on him with the help of England. Or it was England poking fun at him! He frowned and noticed the covers inching their way down. He swallowed thickly and his heart started beating harder against his chest. Ludwig closed his eyes and heard a groan of frustration.

"_Just open your pretty little eyes already!"_

The voice growled and the German shook his head.

"_I promise I'm just going to kill you when you look~"_

The voice cooed and that only made the German nation frown deeper.

"_You can let me kill you or fall apart in front of everyone! __**No one**__ will help you! Why would they? Why would they help Germany? Hah!"_

"If you're the devil, you can wait until my people do not want me as their country anymore."

Ludwig spoke and heard a huff.

"_I am not the devil, you are not possessed. I haven't made a single visible mark on you. I have only marked you as my prey."_

The voice sighed. Ludwig could feel pressure on his chest and was tempted to open his eyes and look. But he was too scared!

"_You're not fit to be a country, the responsibility is too great and you can't handle it. Hell, you can't even fight! That's why you lost."_

The voice continued to mock.

"_You think the others are going to like you? You think they will accept you __**eventually**__? Well, you're wrong! So wrong you are."_

Ludwig felt a hand on his face, caressing his cheek and a thumb run over his lips.

"_Open your eyes, I'll turn you human. You can live carefree, without responsibility. Without having to have to worry what others think of you. You'll be human!"_

"You said you were going to kill me if I opened my eyes. Why should I trust you?"

Germany spoke and the voice didn't reply. He thought the _thing_ was gone but then he felt a breath on his face and he knew if he opened his eyes he would be staring at _it_! His eyelids started to open and he saw a blurred smile, fangs, something dark.

As he opened his eyes fully and blinked them into focus, he was staring into black, hollow eyes.

"_Was it really so hard to open your eyes for me?"_

Ludwig said nothing, fright having him paralyzed. He saw sharp claws come closer to his face and rest under his eyes.

"Who are you?"

"_You know how they say Death has a face. Sadly, he doesn't have eyes."_

The blonde frowned and started screaming when he saw the creature open it's mouth. The head went further back, ripping the mouth open even wider until the head stood on what seemed to be like a thread of skin! The jaw had dislocated itself and was just hanging there! Before he knew it, the darkness had eaten him. Dead, black trees surrounded him, black grass was everywhere and it was so cold, so very cold.

He heard a faint voice in the distance, but he saw no light to show the way. The dead forest he sat in burst into flames and surrounded him, smoke filling his lungs. He heard sirens and through an opening in the flames, he saw two lights, blue and red. Ludwig raised his hand towards the lights but the flames closed around him and his heart stopped. His vision started to go black and he felt himself falling, the sharp rocks were so close now. His eyes slowly shut and were closed before his body impaled on the rocks beneath.

Voices, so many voices. Crying, screaming, yelling. A beep. Another beep. His eyes opened again and he saw a bright white light. Groaning he raising his hand to cover his eyes and just when he had welcomed the darkness.

"Ludwig!"

He heard a familiar voice.

"Ludwig!"

"Gilbert?"

The German nation spoke in a raspy voice as if he had inhaled a lot of smoke or smoked for two hundred years! Not that long but it seemed that way.

The albino suddenly loomed over him like an angel in the heavens.

"Am I dead?"

"You were. But you're back!"

Gilbert cried, his tears falling onto his brother's face.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

The younger shook his head weakly.

"You got a fever and right when I was leaving for Washington there was an explosion. I saw the house was on fire and I yelled for the cab to stop. He did, I ran out and called the fire brigade. They seemed to take forever, the whole house went up in flames!"

Gilbert explained and pet Ludwig's hair.

"They couldn't find you, I was sure I was going to lose you! But, then one of them saw your hand coming out of a fire. It was like you just appeared out of nowhere! They managed to drag you out before the floor collapsed!"

The albino was in a panic.

"When I saw them holding you and you weren't moving, I, I panicked! Your youth flashed before my eyes and I remembered having promised you I wouldn't let you die."

"Silly promise to make."

Ludwig piped in and coughed harshly, dry heaving. The nurse entering the room put an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

"Ja, silly promise to make. But, you are my successor. I raised you to be my successor. I'm not supposed to take back a country that used to be mine."

Gilbert whispered and kissed Ludwig's forehead.

"You rest. This time, I won't leave your side."

The albino smiled and the blonde closed his eyes again, both wondering if he would wake up again.


End file.
